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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chest — of your body
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — the amount
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — a series
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chest — a box
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. press — to push
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. plane — a tool

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