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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rash — a series
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — happy
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — magic
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bound — tied together
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. content — the amount

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