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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pass — a permit
  4. content — happy
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. race — humankind
  14. current — electric
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — happening now
  18. race — a contest
  19. can — to be able to
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rush — hurry
  24. content — the amount

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