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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. scale — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. game — wild animals
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — a match
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bound — certain
  24. cap — of ice

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