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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: temple · stand · rule · hide · clip · tube · ground · cap

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. ground — a position
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rule — a law
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stand — to bear
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cap — of ice
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rule — government
  23. cap — a hat
  24. clip — a video

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