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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: lean · content · ruler · lie · pop · sharp · tear · scale

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. content — the amount
  3. pop — soda
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. scale — in music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — thin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — happy

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