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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 116 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 · content · wind · stand · cabinet · net · object · cap

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — the amount
  7. net — in sport
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — a container
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — happy
  15. stand — to bear
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. net — after costs
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. object — a thing

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