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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. club — for golf
  3. present — there
  4. bore — to drill
  5. clip — for paper
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bore — to tire
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. clip — a video
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — part of the head
  13. present — the time now
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. club — a group
  18. face — to point toward
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. present — a gift
  21. club — for dancing
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. clip — to cut

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