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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. land — to come down
  4. bulb — for light
  5. board — to get on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. board — a committee
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. content — the amount
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — a series
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. content — happy
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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