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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bore — to drill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rock — music
  8. shower — rain
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bound — obliged
  12. spell — letters
  13. degree — temperature
  14. spell — magic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — a short time

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