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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — to drill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ground — a position
  14. bound — tied together
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bound — certain
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rest — a break
  24. chip — in a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com