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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: suit · chest · content · pop · land · dip · ruler · lash

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chest — a box
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pop — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. content — happy
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. land — to come down
  11. content — the amount
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. land — a country
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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