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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 124 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pop — music
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — soda
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a word

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