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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — an aim
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. object — to protest
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rock — music
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — a thing
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — thin

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