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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ground — crushed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — the season
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ground — a position
  24. bore — to drill

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