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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.

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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — of water
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — a gift
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bore — to drill
  9. content — the amount
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. bat — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bore — to tire
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bat — in an idiom

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