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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — in music
  3. cold — an illness
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hand — help
  9. content — the amount
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. content — happy
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. craft — boats
  22. cold — not warm
  23. craft — a skill
  24. key — for a lock

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