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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bound — tied together
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bound — obliged
  10. kid — child
  11. bound — certain
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. track — a song
  22. game — a match
  23. press — to push
  24. kid — to tease

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