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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. shower — rain
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. shower — to wash
  12. dip — to sink
  13. key — the most important part
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bound — tied together
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bore — to drill
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bound — certain
  24. craft — boats

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