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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rest — a break
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — to come down
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. land — ground
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bound — tied together
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tear — from crying
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. tear — to rip

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