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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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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 · kid · wave · mine · bay · stem · ruler · suit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kid — child
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — happy

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