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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. file — a tool
  3. content — the amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. key — the most important part
  9. file — a document
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. file — a line of people
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — in music
  24. kick — in football

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