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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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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: tube · row · drill · stock · spring · cap · stand · lie

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. drill — army training
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stock — goods
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stock — shares
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — the season
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — a container
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tube — the underground

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