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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bore — to drill
  10. plane — a tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bear — the animal
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. row — to paddle
  19. key — in music
  20. kid — child
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bore — gave birth

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