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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. roll — a list
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. roll — a cake
  8. content — the amount
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tear — to rip
  19. content — happy
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — to tire
  24. content — videos and posts

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