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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — in football
  6. wax — to grow
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rush — to hurry

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