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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. tube — the underground
  5. squash — the sport
  6. kid — child
  7. season — of the year
  8. wind — moving air
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wind — moving air
  23. season — in sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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