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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a song
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — the amount
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. track — a path
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. land — to come down
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. content — happy
  18. land — ground
  19. track — to keep track
  20. land — a country
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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