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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pass — a permit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — certain
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — employees
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — to tire
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ruler — for measuring

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