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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — a match
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rash — a series
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — a short time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rule — government
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — magic
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — the amount
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rule — a law
  23. plane — in geometry
  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