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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — a container
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hand — help
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chair — to sit on

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