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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — certain
  3. stock — shares
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bound — obliged
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lean — to bend
  10. clip — to cut
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cue — a signal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stock — goods
  21. lean — thin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cue — a hint
  24. clip — a video

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