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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. content — happy
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cold — not warm
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. craft — boats

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