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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a skill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chest — a box
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — in cards
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — to crush
  23. suit — clothes
  24. squash — the vegetable

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