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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: lie · march · hand · stand · straw · ruler · suit · content

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. content — the amount
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. march — the month
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. march — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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