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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bound — obliged
  4. tube — a container
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. craft — boats
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — a permit
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bound — certain

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