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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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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: rock · content · sharp · lie · nail · bore · mine · dip

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rock — a stone
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rock — music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lie — to recline
  14. sharp — clever
  15. content — the amount
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to sink
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. content — happy
  24. sharp — exactly

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