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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — happy
  7. hand — help
  8. fine — high quality
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. march — music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — all right
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. content — the amount
  24. bulb — of a plant

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