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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — the amount
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bore — to drill
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. content — happy
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hand — help
  13. board — to get on
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. board — a committee

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