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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: rule · fine · squash · snap · present · toast · stand · tube

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fine — all right
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rule — government
  5. stand — to bear
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. present — the time now
  9. rule — a law
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fine — high quality
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. present — a gift
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. toast — bread
  20. snap — to click
  21. squash — the sport
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. tube — a container

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