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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 124 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tube — a container
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rush — a thrill

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