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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: can · row · stand · staff · swing · nail · sharp · tube

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. staff — a stick
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tube — the underground
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — a container
  16. can — to be able to
  17. swing — to play on
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — to bear
  20. sharp — clever
  21. row — a line
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. swing — music

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