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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tube — a container
  4. spell — letters
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spell — a short time
  7. race — the arms race
  8. object — to protest
  9. tube — the underground
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — a thing
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — an aim
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — magic
  23. face — part of the head
  24. safe — out of danger

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