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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. firm — a company
  3. hand — help
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cell — in biology
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — in cards
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. firm — decided
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. march — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. firm — steady
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — a phone

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