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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 124 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bound — certain
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — the most important part
  11. scale — size or range
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — happy
  18. snap — to click
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. rock — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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