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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: date · dip · rest · stand · stem · can · stick · tube

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tube — a container
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. dip — to sink
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rest — a break
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stand — to bear

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