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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bore — to tire
  4. current — of water
  5. bore — to drill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. current — electric
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. content — happy
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. dip — to sink
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — in a race
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. current — happening now
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. branch — of a tree

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