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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. firm — decided
  3. content — happy
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — a series
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mine — for digging
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. firm — steady
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. shower — rain
  24. content — the amount

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