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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kick — in football
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bore — to drill
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. content — the amount
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rule — a law
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. scale — in music
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. content — happy
  22. rule — government
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fall — the season

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