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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. content — happy
  13. kick — in football
  14. content — the amount
  15. bark — to shout
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bore — to drill

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