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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. content — happy
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. content — the amount
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fall — the season
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — a horse colour

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