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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rock — music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bound — obliged
  9. track — a song
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rock — a stone
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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