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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — the amount
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. content — happy
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wound — an injury

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