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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. content — happy
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. content — the amount
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wound — an injury
  16. staff — employees
  17. toast — bread
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bore — to tire
  24. staff — a stick

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