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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lean — to bend
  8. content — the amount
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — of the year
  12. staff — employees
  13. season — in sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. staff — a stick
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. lean — thin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. season — to add flavour

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