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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. last — final
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. last — finally
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — army training
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spring — the season
  18. drill — a practice
  19. spring — of water
  20. last — to go on
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — the animal

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