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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · lie · tube · racket · staff · shower · stand · temple

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tube — the underground
  5. staff — employees
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cap — of ice
  9. shower — to wash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — rain
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — to recline
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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