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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 · spring · content · stand · drill · hide · rush · current

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. content — happy
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. current — electric
  7. content — the amount
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — of water
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. drill — army training
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. current — happening now
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spring — the season
  23. stand — to bear
  24. foot — a measure

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