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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: can · prune · stand · mug · cell · fan · toast · tube

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a face
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — to be able to
  16. toast — bread
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. tube — a container
  24. fan — to cool the air

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