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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wake — a trail
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stock — shares
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stock — goods
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — on your feet

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