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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. suit — in cards
  5. charge — a price
  6. suit — clothes
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — in control
  14. band — a music group
  15. charge — electricity
  16. swing — to play on
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tube — a container
  20. band — a ring
  21. swing — music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. suit — to fit
  24. swing — in golf

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