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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. tube — a container
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — in sport
  19. game — a match
  20. band — a ring
  21. tube — the underground
  22. band — a music group
  23. game — wild animals
  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