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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. content — the amount
  6. mug — to rob
  7. charge — in control
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — happy
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. charge — a price
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mug — a face
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mug — a cup

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