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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. band — a ring
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. file — a tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. rest — what's left
  9. file — a document
  10. capital — money
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rest — a break
  13. band — a music group
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bound — tied together
  16. craft — boats
  17. capital — a city
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. file — a line of people
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bound — obliged

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