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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. content — happy
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. content — the amount
  6. hand — help
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. kick — in football
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bulb — for light
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bore — to drill
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — thin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rash — a series

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