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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 124 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. season — in sport
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — the time now
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rest — what's left
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — of the year
  14. present — there
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — a gift
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — a signal
  24. content — the amount

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