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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bound — certain
  3. club — a group
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — a trail
  10. branch — a division
  11. club — for golf
  12. bore — to tire
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wake — before a funeral

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