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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 · band · wake · stick · cell · date · rush

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — a trail
  4. content — happy
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. cell — in biology
  17. band — a music group
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. foot — a measure
  21. band — a ring
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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