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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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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: tube · lie · board · can · firm · stand · roll · saw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. can — a tin
  3. roll — a list
  4. firm — steady
  5. board — a committee
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. firm — a company
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — to get on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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