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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mug — a cup
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. content — happy
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to confront
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mug — a face
  14. band — a music group
  15. content — the amount
  16. rest — a break
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. band — a ring
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. season — of the year
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ruler — for measuring

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