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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.

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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: deal · rock · land · content · mark · lash

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. land — a country
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — happy
  6. rock — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — the amount
  10. rock — a stone
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — ground

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