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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rash — a series
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. content — the amount
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wake — a trail
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. season — in sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. season — of the year
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — part of the body

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