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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spring — of water
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. content — happy
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spring — the season
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. spring — a coil

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