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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rash — a series
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — after costs
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hand — help
  24. rash — hasty

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