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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pop — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — the amount
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — to visit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fall — the season
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. content — happy
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pop — soda
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to click
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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