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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. squash — the sport
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. land — ground
  7. content — happy
  8. land — to come down
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — a country
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — the amount
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bulb — for light

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