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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. content — happy
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — there
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — a gift
  15. drill — army training
  16. content — the amount
  17. mug — a face
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mug — a cup
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mate — a partner

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