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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. craft — boats
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fall — the season
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. file — a document
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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