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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — high quality
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kid — child
  15. bore — to tire
  16. face — to confront
  17. bound — certain
  18. rest — a break
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fine — all right

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