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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bore — to drill
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lean — thin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bulb — for light
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. race — humankind
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. race — a contest
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. content — the amount
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — happy
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. branch — a division
  24. lean — to rest against

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