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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. land — to come down
  5. rash — a series
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. land — ground
  13. content — the amount
  14. key — the most important part
  15. land — a country
  16. present — the time now
  17. key — in music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — there

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