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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. content — happy
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bound — certain
  20. bore — to tire
  21. content — the amount
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chest — a box

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