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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — obliged
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — finally
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. face — to confront
  21. last — final
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — certain

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