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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stand — to bear
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bank — for money
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. shower — rain
  22. snap — to click
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. deal — a big deal

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