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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bound — certain
  4. net — for catching
  5. content — happy
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. net — after costs
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — obliged
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. last — to go on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — in sport
  20. last — final
  21. bound — tied together
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. saw — the tool

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