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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 124 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. last — final
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. object — an aim
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — the amount
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. last — finally
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. content — happy
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. object — to protest
  20. last — to go on
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ruler — for measuring

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