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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · tear · content · ruler · present · snap

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. snap — to click
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — there
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. content — the amount
  12. present — a gift
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts

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