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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. content — the amount
  3. season — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. sharp — clever
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — happy
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. staff — employees
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. row — to paddle
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. staff — employees
  23. row — a line
  24. staff — a stick

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