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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spell — letters
  8. stem — to come from
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. content — happy
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — the amount
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — to tire

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