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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. spell — magic
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. content — happy
  7. spell — a short time
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. race — humankind
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — letters
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  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