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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. swing — music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — a container
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — to drill
  11. race — the arms race
  12. present — the time now
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. swing — in golf
  17. race — humankind
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bound — certain
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. race — a contest

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