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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 124 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — a container
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bore — to drill
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. band — a ring
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. band — a music group
  18. pit — in a race
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spell — magic
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bore — gave birth

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