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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fine — all right
  6. content — happy
  7. fall — the season
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mug — a face
  11. cell — a phone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — the amount
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. file — a tool
  20. cell — in biology
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. file — a document
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fine — high quality

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