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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. content — happy
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — from a university
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ruler — a monarch

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