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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: stand · bound · content · mug · lie · tear · tube · board

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. content — the amount
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. content — happy
  10. tube — a container
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bound — certain
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mug — a face
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bound — tied together
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mug — a cup

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