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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wound — an injury
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — happy
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. content — the amount
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — to be able to
  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