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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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Word bank
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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: row · roll · stand · suit · mark · mine · foot · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mine — for digging
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mark — a trace
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — a cake
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. suit — to fit
  19. row — a line
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mark — a grade
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stand — on your feet

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