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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.

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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: saw · bulb · date · bowl · content · tear · rock · bore

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — happy
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. content — the amount
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rock — music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. saw — the tool

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