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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 · press · lash · wind · cue · wound · ruler · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. content — the amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — for catching
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — to push
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cue — a signal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wind — moving air
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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