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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cap — a hat
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. can — a tin

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