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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. content — happy
  7. chest — of your body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. content — the amount
  10. season — of the year
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — for a lock
  15. present — a gift
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. present — there
  18. chest — a box
  19. key — in music
  20. present — the time now
  21. season — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. season — to add flavour

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