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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. current — happening now
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. current — electric
  17. spell — letters
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. spell — a short time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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