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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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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: object · ruler · content · foot · kid · cold · fine · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. content — the amount
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — all right
  9. kid — child
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — happy
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cold — not warm
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. object — a thing
  23. kid — to tease
  24. foot — a measure

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