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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 124 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. swing — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — to drill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — the amount
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — thin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. swing — in golf
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bore — to tire
  19. swing — to play on
  20. content — happy
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — to bend

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