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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: craft · ruler · firm · hand · march · content · rash · arm

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. craft — boats
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — the month
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rash — a series
  9. craft — a skill
  10. march — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — a company
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — hasty
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — on the skin
  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