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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. face — to point toward
  3. spell — magic
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bore — to drill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fine — all right
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to tire
  10. last — to go on
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. face — to confront
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spell — letters
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. file — a document
  20. last — finally
  21. content — happy
  22. file — a tool
  23. content — the amount
  24. bore — gave birth

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