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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. content — the amount
  7. charge — in control
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — happy
  15. charge — a price
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bark — to shout
  18. file — a document
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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