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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stock — goods
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — the amount
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — to tire
  7. charge — a price
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stock — shares
  13. mate — to breed
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. content — happy
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wound — an injury
  23. content — videos and posts
  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