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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — a face
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. capital — money
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mug — to rob
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. race — a contest
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. content — the amount
  20. race — humankind
  21. capital — a city
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. date — the fruit

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