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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.

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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: hand · content · bay · land · spell · wound · ruler · fork

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — in cards
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spell — magic
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. hand — help
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fork — in a road
  15. land — to come down
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. spell — letters
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  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