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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bore — to tire
  3. object — to protest
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. object — a thing
  8. content — happy
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — the amount
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — gave birth

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