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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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468
Word bank
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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pit — a hole
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. content — happy

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