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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ground — a position
  8. content — happy
  9. ball — a great time
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — the amount
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rest — a break
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — certain
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. ground — the earth

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