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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 116 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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lean — thin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tube — a container
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rash — a series
  7. fall — to drop
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lean — to bend
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — the season
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — the underground

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