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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pop — music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mark — a grade
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rash — a series
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bore — to drill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pop — soda
  20. bound — certain
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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