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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. content — happy
  6. row — a line
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bore — to tire
  9. content — the amount
  10. charge — electricity
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — tied together
  16. charge — a price
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bore — to drill
  20. charge — in control
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — to rest against

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