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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — happy
  6. squash — the sport
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — a skill
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bore — to tire
  18. squash — to crush
  19. craft — boats
  20. chip — to eat
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fall — the season
  24. content — the amount

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