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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — a practice
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. drill — the tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — wild animals
  14. content — the amount
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. clip — a video
  19. pit — a hole
  20. game — a match
  21. clip — to cut
  22. drill — army training
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — a break

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