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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. can — to be able to
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stand — to bear
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tube — the underground
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. face — to confront
  20. tube — a container
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bore — to tire

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