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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. content — the amount
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tube — a container
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tube — the underground
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wind — to turn a key

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