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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: stand · bound · lean · wind · net · roll · content · temple

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. roll — a list
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. bound — obliged
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. roll — a cake
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — in sport
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — thin

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