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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stock — goods
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. content — happy
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. press — a publisher
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stock — shares
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. press — to push
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — newspapers
  23. patient — a sick person
  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