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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. firm — decided
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — the amount
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. saw — 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