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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · fork · shower · lie · bound · cap · tube · stand

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. shower — rain
  7. cap — of ice
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lie — to recline
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fork — in a road
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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