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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. content — the amount
  3. bank — of a river
  4. content — happy
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. land — to come down
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. land — a country
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — for money

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