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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — for digging
  3. present — a gift
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bound — certain
  24. saw — the tool

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