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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. content — happy
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — the animal

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