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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. snap — to click
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. staff — employees
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. staff — employees
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tube — a container
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lie — an untruth

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