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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. swing — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tube — a container
  8. scale — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. board — to get on
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — a committee
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stand — for spectators

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