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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rule — a law
  5. field — a subject
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — for sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — for pool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rule — government
  21. bound — certain
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cue — a hint
  24. field — farmland

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