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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 120 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: content · foot · dip · safe · ruler · stand · face · bear

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. foot — a measure
  5. face — to point toward
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. content — happy
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. content — the amount
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — to bear
  19. dip — to sink
  20. face — to confront
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — part of the body

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