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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bank — for money
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tube — a container
  15. bass — low music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bank — for money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ground — a position
  23. tube — the underground
  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