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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bound — certain
  9. game — a match
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wind — moving air
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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