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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 120 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: content · lash · rest · rush · land · pitch · rock · ruler

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — ground
  6. rest — a break
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. land — to come down
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — the amount
  23. land — a country
  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