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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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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — letters
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. content — happy
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rush — hurry
  15. content — the amount
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — magic
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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