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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. content — the amount
  7. kick — in football
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bound — tied together

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