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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — the time now
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spring — the season
  10. present — there
  11. bass — the fish
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bore — to tire
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chest — a box
  21. bass — low music
  22. content — happy
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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