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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 · wind · nail · rest · lie · mark · fan · fork

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — to recline
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rest — a break

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