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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. object — to protest
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. content — happy
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — to wash
  17. content — the amount
  18. object — an aim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. shower — rain
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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