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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
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: nail · squash · bark · content · stand · bowl · spring · file

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — the amount
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bark — to shout
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. file — a document
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. squash — the sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — the season
  22. file — a line of people
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — of a tree

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