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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. content — the amount
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mate — a partner
  4. content — happy
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mate — a friend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bowl — to roll
  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