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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. content — happy
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chest — a box
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cap — a hat
  13. drill — army training
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rush — hurry

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