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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. game — a match
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bore — to drill
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — certain
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bore — to tire
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bound — tied together
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — obliged

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