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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tube — a container
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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