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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. season — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bass — low music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. season — of the year
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. branch — a division
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bore — to drill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bass — the fish
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — to tire
  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