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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. race — a contest
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. race — humankind
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — to recline
  9. face — part of the head
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — in music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. face — to point toward
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. face — to confront
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bound — certain
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bound — obliged

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