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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. last — final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. scale — size or range
  11. last — to go on
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. content — the amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. last — finally
  20. row — a line
  21. pound — a weight
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. scale — in music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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