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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — happy
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — a break
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fan — to cool the air

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