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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. content — the amount
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. last — finally
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. last — final

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