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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ground — a position
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lean — to bend
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lean — thin
  24. dip — a sauce

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