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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. content — the amount
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. roll — a list
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. content — happy
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. roll — a cake
  20. swing — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. staff — employees

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