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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spring — of water
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — to drill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — the season
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — certain
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — soda
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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