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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tear — to rip
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. content — happy
  14. can — a tin
  15. content — the amount
  16. kick — in football
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — to put up with

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