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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: saw · stand · pit · hide · band · rock · content · wave

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — the amount
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rock — music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. content — happy
  24. hide — to keep secret

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