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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. last — finally
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. clip — a video
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lean — thin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rock — a stone
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — to cut
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — final
  24. lean — to bend

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