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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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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: chest · content · mark · wound · bowl · stick · stand · fan

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. content — happy
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chest — a box
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mark — to pay attention

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