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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fine — all right
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fine — high quality
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — to come from
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cell — in biology
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. tube — a container
  24. stand — for spectators

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