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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: wake · ball · content · wind · ruler · mine · straw · suit

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ball — a dance
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wind — moving air
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mine — for digging
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. ball — a great time
  16. content — the amount
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. content — happy
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ruler — for measuring

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