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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cap — a hat
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tube — the underground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — to recline
  24. prune — to trim

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