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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — in music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. content — happy
  6. rule — government
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rule — a law
  11. scale — size or range
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. coach — a trainer

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