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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.

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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — a stick
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. stand — to bear
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pop — soda
  9. file — a tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a document
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a line of people
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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