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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. squash — the sport
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bound — certain
  6. file — a tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — a container
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lean — to bend
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — in a tire

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