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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. content — happy
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — to drill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. bound — certain
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a document
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to point toward

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