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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. file — a line of people
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spring — of water
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rock — music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spring — the season
  14. file — a tool
  15. content — happy
  16. file — a document
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — finally
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — a stone
  21. last — final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bowl — to roll

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