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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — the amount
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rest — a break
  11. object — a thing
  12. content — happy
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — for money
  19. object — to protest
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — the time now
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. hand — in cards

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