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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. club — for golf
  7. key — the most important part
  8. face — to point toward
  9. club — a group
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. face — to confront
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bound — tied together
  16. key — for a lock
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — certain
  24. dip — to dunk

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