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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · trunk · wind · bear · bore · content · drill · bulb

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. content — happy
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wind — moving air
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wind — moving air

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