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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fall — the season
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. cap — of ice
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bass — low music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fine — all right
  19. scale — in music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mine — for digging
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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