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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — happy
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bore — to tire
  17. content — the amount
  18. spring — the season
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. bank — for money
  24. bulb — of a plant

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