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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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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. spell — letters
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. content — happy
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ball — a dance
  9. content — the amount
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spell — magic

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