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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — a series
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rest — a break
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. game — a match
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — magic
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bound — certain
  24. spell — letters

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