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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. last — finally
  9. content — happy
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. face — to confront
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. face — to point toward
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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