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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · ruler · suit · wind · tube · perch · face · content

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — happy
  5. stand — to bear
  6. content — the amount
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tube — a container
  9. face — to confront
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stand — for spectators

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