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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cell — a phone
  15. perch — the fish
  16. content — the amount
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — happy
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bound — certain
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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