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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. content — the amount
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. content — happy
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. roll — a cake
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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