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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. content — the amount
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — a gift
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. present — there
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mine — for digging
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — the time now
  22. content — happy
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — a supporter

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