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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — to tire
  5. march — music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. march — the month
  17. hand — help
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. content — the amount
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. last — to go on
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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