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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: arm · ruler · content · lean · racket · land · nail · mark

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. land — to come down
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. land — ground
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. land — a country
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — thin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mark — a grade
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. nail — on a finger

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