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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — for catching
  13. content — happy
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. content — the amount
  20. mark — a grade
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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