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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bound — certain
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tube — a container
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bound — tied together
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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