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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mine — for digging
  3. content — the amount
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. staff — employees
  9. spell — letters
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spell — a short time
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pop — soda
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. content — happy
  21. pop — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bulb — for light

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