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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — an illness
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — a container
  14. staff — employees
  15. rest — a break
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. root — the cause

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