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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. deal — to handle
  8. content — the amount
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. game — a match
  22. lean — thin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. content — videos and posts

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