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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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 — happy
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. kick — in football
  8. ball — a great time
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — in control
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — a price
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — electricity
  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