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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: content · calf · ruler · nail · firm · wound · land · deal

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — a country
  3. content — the amount
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. firm — steady
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — decided
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. land — ground
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. land — to come down
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. firm — a company

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