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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lean — thin
  16. content — the amount
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bore — to drill
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mark — a trace

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