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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. content — the amount
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — to confront
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chair — a leader
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. firm — a company
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. firm — decided
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. content — happy
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chair — to sit on

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