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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: ruler · bulb · nail · capital · rush · hand · saw · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — the amount
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. capital — money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — a city
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. content — happy
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — help

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