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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · clip · mark · sharp · bore · scale · chest · foot

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — in music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chest — of your body
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bound — obliged
  10. clip — a video
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. scale — size or range
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bore — to tire
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. chest — a box
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bound — certain

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