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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 120 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lie — to recline
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tube — the underground
  16. plane — a tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — a series
  21. bank — of a river
  22. tube — a container
  23. plane — in geometry
  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