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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — a break
  6. content — the amount
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hand — in cards
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. content — happy
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — to be able to
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. dip — a sauce

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