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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · dip · bound · wound · mate · fine · content · swing

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fine — all right
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. content — the amount
  6. wound — an injury
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bound — certain
  12. content — happy
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mate — to breed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fine — high quality
  19. swing — music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bound — obliged
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wound — an injury

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