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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lean — thin
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cold — an illness
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. craft — boats
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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