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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 124 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
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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: wound · court · content · cell · lean · date · fan · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — to tire
  6. content — the amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — happy
  9. court — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. cell — a phone
  16. lean — thin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. date — the fruit
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cell — in biology

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