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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. content — the amount
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stock — shares
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — a tool
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tear — to rip

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