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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bore — to drill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — happy
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — the amount
  23. plane — a tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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