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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — thin
  6. pop — soda
  7. lie — to recline
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rule — government
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. band — a ring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — to visit
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. band — a music group
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — music

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