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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — a coil
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tear — to rip
  6. key — in music
  7. content — the amount
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — happy
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. key — the most important part
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. key — for a lock
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tear — from crying

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