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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. suit — to fit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stand — to bear
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cold — not warm
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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