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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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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: tube · stand · bass · hide · chest · rule · lie · rest

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — a law
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — a container
  16. rest — a break
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chest — a box
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rule — government

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