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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
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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: stand · scale · roll · content · patient · row · face · nail

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. row — to paddle
  4. face — to point toward
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stand — to bear
  8. scale — size or range
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — a list
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. face — to confront
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — in music
  23. content — the amount
  24. row — a line

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