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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bore — to tire
  11. snap — to click
  12. content — the amount
  13. root — the cause
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. content — happy
  22. root — of a word
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a plant

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