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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 120 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: stick · arm · tube · tear · hide · suit · present · pit

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — to fit
  4. present — there
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. tube — a container
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pit — in a race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. arm — part of the body

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