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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spring — of water
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. fine — high quality
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — a container
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — the season
  15. race — humankind
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spring — a coil
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fine — all right
  22. drill — army training
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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