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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. shower — rain
  3. bound — certain
  4. bore — to tire
  5. march — the month
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a round shape

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