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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bore — to drill
  17. content — the amount
  18. staff — a stick
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — employees

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