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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — happy
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cold — the Cold War

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