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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. clip — to cut
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bore — to tire
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pound — a weight
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. saw — the tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bore — to drill

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