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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. squash — to crush
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. spring — of water
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — a face
  9. content — happy
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spring — the season
  12. content — the amount
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mug — to rob
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hand — help
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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