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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 · net · hide · bowl · tear · tube · band · mark

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — for catching
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — a container
  17. band — a music group
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stand — to bear
  20. band — a ring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — to keep secret

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