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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. court — of a king
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to drill
  6. content — happy
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. court — for sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bore — to tire
  11. court — of law
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — the amount
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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