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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — part of the head
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — a coil
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — to confront
  12. content — happy
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spring — of water
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — the season
  23. wound — an injury
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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