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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. craft — boats
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — a lid
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fall — the season
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cap — a hat

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