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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
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: last · track · tube · content · mate · stand · lean · lash

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. content — the amount
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. content — happy
  5. track — a song
  6. last — to go on
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. track — a path
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lean — thin
  19. last — finally
  20. stand — to bear
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. last — final
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stand — on your feet

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