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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 124 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: racket · tube · cap · stand · dip · toast · chest · lean

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tube — a container
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — the underground
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — a lid
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — bread
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chest — a box
  24. racket — a loud noise

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