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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kick — in football
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bank — for money
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — of water
  10. content — happy
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — happening now
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mate — a friend
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — electric
  24. mate — to breed

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