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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. content — happy
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. clip — a video
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. clip — for paper
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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