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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. spell — a short time
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — the amount
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. content — happy
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. spell — magic

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