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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ball — a great time
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rash — a series
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — the amount
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ball — a dance

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