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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 120 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 · fan · tear · saw · mark · content · ruler · dip

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mark — a grade
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mark — a trace
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — to sink

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