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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lie — to recline
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — a box
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. file — a tool
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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