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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wax — to grow
  5. content — happy
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stand — to bear
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rock — music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — in an idiom

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