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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bound — certain
  5. bore — to drill
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — obliged
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — a song
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bore — to tire
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. staff — a stick
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. track — a path
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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