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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. staff — employees
  3. content — the amount
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — in music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lean — to bend
  17. last — to go on
  18. staff — a stick
  19. last — final
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — finally
  24. content — videos and posts

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