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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bore — to drill
  3. root — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. game — a match
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kick — in football
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bound — obliged
  10. game — wild animals
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. root — of a word
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bore — to tire
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bound — certain
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. band — a music group
  24. stand — on your feet

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