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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. 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. content — the amount
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — child
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. snap — to click
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. content — happy
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fork — in a road
  24. 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