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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 116 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: mine · stand · march · kid · can · lie · pop · tube

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. tube — a container
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. march — the month
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pop — soda
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pop — music
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — the underground
  23. kid — child
  24. lie — an untruth

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