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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. last — final
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. last — to go on
  10. content — the amount
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. last — finally
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. content — happy

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