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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. file — a document
  24. hand — help

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