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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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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: fall · stand · trunk · wave · lean · content · saw · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — happy
  7. lean — thin
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fall — the season
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. content — the amount
  12. lean — to bend
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stand — to bear

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