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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. land — a country
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lie — to recline
  23. kid — child
  24. tube — a container

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