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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bound — obliged
  6. content — happy
  7. bulb — for light
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. content — the amount
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. temple — side of the head

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