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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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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 · game · cell · chest · spell · kick · stand · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tube — a container
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chest — a box
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kick — in football
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chest — of your body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chest — of your body

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