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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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. ground — crushed
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — a position
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bound — certain
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ground — the earth
  21. press — to push
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. press — a publisher

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