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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. band — a music group
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — a container
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wake — a trail

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