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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — wild animals
  3. content — the amount
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to drill
  6. lean — thin
  7. file — a document
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — all right
  10. game — a match
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. file — a tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. file — a line of people
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. content — happy
  24. fine — a penalty

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