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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — to drill
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bore — to tire
  9. scale — in music
  10. cap — a hat
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — happy
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bound — tied together
  23. scale — size or range
  24. leaves — lets stay

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