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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — the tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — of a river
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bank — for money
  15. suit — in cards
  16. drill — army training
  17. suit — clothes
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. content — the amount
  22. foot — a measure
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. drill — a practice

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