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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rest — a break
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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