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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. content — happy
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. staff — employees
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. staff — employees
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. staff — a stick

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