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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hand — in cards
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bank — for money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bound — certain
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of a tree

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