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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — a series
  3. bore — to tire
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rule — a law
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bound — certain
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bound — tied together
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — hasty

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