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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — to tire
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hand — help
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — there
  22. bound — tied together
  23. present — the time now
  24. coach — a trainer

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