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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hand — in cards
  7. content — happy
  8. pound — a weight
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cell — a phone
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hand — help
  16. tube — the underground
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — a container
  23. bore — to tire
  24. content — videos and posts

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