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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pop — music
  3. content — the amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. content — happy
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pop — soda
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — magic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. can — to be able to
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chair — a leader
  21. spell — a short time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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