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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. content — the amount
  9. rash — a series
  10. content — happy
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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