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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fine — all right
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bore — to tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — in music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ruler — a monarch

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