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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — all right
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — happy
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. content — the amount
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rest — a break
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — in cards

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