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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. file — a tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — to confront
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. file — a document
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. deal — to handle
  18. content — the amount
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. file — a line of people
  21. content — happy
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. face — to point toward
  24. straw — dry grass

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