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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — not warm
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. face — to confront
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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