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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bound — certain
  3. capital — money
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hand — help
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bound — obliged
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tube — a container
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a city
  24. bound — tied together

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