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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fall — to drop
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. content — happy
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fall — the season
  17. stand — to bear
  18. content — the amount
  19. chest — a box
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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