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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 · squash · suit · land · stick · straw · plane · arm

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — in cards
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. land — to come down
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — a tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. land — ground
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. content — happy
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. content — the amount
  24. straw — a straw man

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