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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. band — a ring
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. band — a music group
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. content — happy

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