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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — a container
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. race — humankind
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chest — a box
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mug — a cup
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — a hole
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. race — a contest
  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