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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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