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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spring — of water
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spring — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stand — to bear
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — army training
  24. bay — a horse colour

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