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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. content — happy
  3. capital — money
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. content — the amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bank — for money
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. capital — a city
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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