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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: suit · wound · kick · ruler · prune · content · pitcher · straw

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. content — happy
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. content — the amount
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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