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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — a hole
  6. object — a thing
  7. content — the amount
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — to visit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pop — soda
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — music

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