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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. game — wild animals
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — a measure
  11. last — final
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. last — to go on
  16. content — the amount
  17. last — finally
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — happy
  22. game — a match
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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