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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · present · content · arm · rule · suit · nail · wound

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a dance
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. present — a gift
  11. suit — clothes
  12. content — happy
  13. rule — a law
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. present — the time now
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — government
  20. suit — to fit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — there
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — for a hammer

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