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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. drill — army training
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hand — help
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. band — a music group
  16. drill — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. band — a ring
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stand — to bear
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. content — the amount
  24. foot — part of the body

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