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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. last — finally
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — to visit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — shares
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. tube — the underground
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — soda
  17. stock — goods
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — a price
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — to bear
  22. charge — in control
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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