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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. present — there
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. game — wild animals
  7. snap — to click
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. present — a gift
  10. content — happy
  11. game — a match
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — the amount
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lean — thin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. present — the time now
  21. bore — to tire
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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