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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. land — a country
  6. bound — certain
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bore — to tire
  11. can — to be able to
  12. court — of law
  13. land — ground
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. court — of a king
  19. sharp — clever
  20. court — for sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bound — obliged

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