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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.

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: root · saw · bulb · bore · content · face · wake · calf

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. content — happy
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — the tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. root — of a word
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. root — of a plant
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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