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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — in music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fine — high quality
  10. content — happy
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. branch — a division
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — to confront
  24. bore — to tire

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