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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rock — a stone
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. band — a music group
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — music
  22. hand — help
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bulb — for light

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