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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. season — in sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — a company
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — decided
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lean — to bend
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — an amount
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — to bear
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. firm — steady
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — of the year
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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