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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bore — to drill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. content — the amount
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. foot — a measure
  7. net — for catching
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. content — happy
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bat — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bark — to shout
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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