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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: stock · cap · last · bear · stand · tube · fall · key

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. last — finally
  3. stand — to bear
  4. last — final
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — the most important part
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fall — the season
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — goods
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — for a lock
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. key — in music

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