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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bound — tied together
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cold — not warm
  16. game — a match
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — certain
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cold — an illness
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. wake — before a funeral

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