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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fall — the season
  3. last — to go on
  4. present — the time now
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. last — final
  9. present — there
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. present — a gift
  14. club — a group
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. club — for golf
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fork — in a road
  23. last — finally
  24. club — for dancing

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