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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — a container
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — to drill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — the underground
  12. current — electric
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lie — to recline
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. scale — in music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. vault — a safe
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. scale — size or range

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