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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. content — happy
  3. chest — of your body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — a box
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chest — of your body
  12. content — the amount
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — a gift
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — crushed
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. present — there
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ground — a position

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