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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. content — the amount
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ball — a dance
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bat — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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