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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. object — a thing
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. object — to protest
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bound — tied together
  10. game — wild animals
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — a series
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. object — an aim

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