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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spell — magic
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. content — happy
  12. spell — letters
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. spell — a short time
  17. content — the amount
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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