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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rash — a series
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. row — a line
  24. ruler — for measuring

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