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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: foot · content · sharp · hand · wave · fine · wind · bound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. content — the amount
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hand — in cards
  10. foot — a measure
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — all right
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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