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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: stick · leaves · wave · temple · tube · chest · land · stand

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — the underground
  7. land — a country
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. land — to come down
  13. tube — a container
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. land — ground
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stand — for spectators

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