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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stand — to bear
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. staff — employees
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. row — to paddle
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pop — music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cap — of ice
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — a lid
  19. present — the time now
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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