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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — thin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bound — obliged
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. content — happy
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bound — certain
  14. tube — a container
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — to bend
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. hand — help
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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