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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: rock · stick · drill · dip · chest · bore · bound · pitcher

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chest — a box
  12. bore — to tire
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. drill — the tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bound — certain
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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