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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. spell — letters
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. content — happy
  24. spell — a short time

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