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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · kick · staff · tube · cap · rule

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rule — government
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cap — of ice
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — a container
  15. kick — in football
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — to rule out

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