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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: hide · firm · stand · fan · bound · foot · lie · content

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. firm — steady
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. content — happy
  11. firm — decided
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — certain
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — a company
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. content — the amount
  24. bound — tied together

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