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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. present — there
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. content — happy
  8. object — a thing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. object — an aim
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — a gift
  18. rash — a series
  19. present — the time now
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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