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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. current — of water
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. rule — government
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rule — a law
  24. current — electric

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