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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chair — a leader
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. content — the amount
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bound — obliged
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bound — certain
  14. content — happy
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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