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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: content · wake · cabinet · arm · net · lean · stand · mug

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. content — happy
  6. net — in sport
  7. lean — to bend
  8. net — after costs
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — for catching
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mug — a face
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. mug — to rob

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