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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stick · hide · branch · staff · stand · scale · spell

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — in music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. scale — for weighing

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