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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. foot — a measure
  3. content — the amount
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — army training
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — bread
  10. wind — moving air
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. drill — a practice
  15. staff — employees
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. drill — the tool
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stand — on your feet

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