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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cell — in biology
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bound — certain
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ball — a great time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lean — thin
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — in a road

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