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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — a container
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lean — thin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pop — music
  9. fine — all right
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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