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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rock — a stone
  4. object — an aim
  5. bore — to tire
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — of the year
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bore — to drill
  11. season — in sport
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — the amount
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rock — music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — to protest
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wind — moving air
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — a hole

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