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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. capital — a city
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. toast — bread
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. content — the amount
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. content — happy
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. capital — money
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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