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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.

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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: season · wound · bore · content · mouse · ruler · racket · fall

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — of the year
  3. fall — to drop
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. season — in sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — the season
  16. content — happy
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. content — the amount
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fall — to drop

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