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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 116 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bound — tied together
  7. staff — a stick
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bore — to drill
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. dip — to sink
  14. scale — in music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. staff — employees
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bound — obliged
  24. plane — in geometry

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