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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: nail · ruler · object · lash · chest · land · content · craft

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. object — to protest
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — happy
  6. land — to come down
  7. chest — of your body
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — boats
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. object — an aim
  14. chest — of your body
  15. land — a country
  16. craft — a skill
  17. land — ground
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. object — a thing
  22. content — the amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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