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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — to rob
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. board — a committee
  12. mug — a face
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. board — to get on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. content — the amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — a flat piece

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