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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. drill — army training
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. content — the amount
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. content — happy
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — the tool

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