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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hand — help
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rush — hurry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hand — in cards
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — a series

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