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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — for betting
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — to grow
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — the fish
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chip — to eat
  18. content — the amount
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wound — an injury

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