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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bat — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. club — a group
  8. current — happening now
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — for a lock
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. key — in music
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. club — for golf
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bore — gave birth

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