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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 · ruler · chest · lie · straw · wax · content · fan

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wax — to grow
  11. content — the amount
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chest — a box
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chest — of your body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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