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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ball — a great time
  3. object — an aim
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lie — to recline
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — a thing
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — a face
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ball — a dance

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