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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. content — happy
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — for catching
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. staff — employees
  24. content — videos and posts

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