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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — in a race
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mark — a grade
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. content — the amount
  24. wax — in the ear

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