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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rock — a stone
  10. field — farmland
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rock — music
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. field — for sport

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