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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cap — a hat
  8. present — there
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stand — to bear
  15. face — to confront
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fine — all right
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cold — an illness
  21. present — the time now
  22. tube — a container
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. present — a gift

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