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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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. stand — to bear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pop — to visit
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tube — the underground
  7. land — to come down
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. land — ground
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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