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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spell — letters
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — certain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cap — a lid
  17. content — the amount
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — a short time
  22. face — part of the head
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. spell — magic

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