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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 116 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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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 · row · stand · mouse · wind · cell · suit · fine

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. content — happy
  5. row — a line
  6. suit — clothes
  7. content — the amount
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stand — to bear
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cell — in biology

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