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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: hide · stand · drill · arm · content · saw · foot · jam

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — a measure
  5. saw — the tool
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stand — to bear
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. content — the amount
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — happy
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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