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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — thin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. rush — hurry
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. content — happy
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lean — to rest against

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