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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lean — thin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. content — happy
  10. craft — boats
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lean — to bend
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. content — the amount
  16. suit — clothes
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — magic
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. suit — to fit

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