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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: content · suit · spell · mouse · ruler · trunk · wind · land

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. content — happy
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. content — the amount
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. land — to come down
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — to turn a key

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