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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · chair · lie · hand · net · ruler · mark · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mark — a trace
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hand — help
  15. net — for catching
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. content — happy
  19. net — in sport
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. net — after costs
  24. lie — to recline

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