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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — there
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ball — a dance
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lean — thin
  20. degree — an amount
  21. present — a gift
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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