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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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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: stick · wind · dip · tube · band · pit · staff · stand

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a ring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. dip — to sink

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