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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · sharp · chest · season · stand · lash · tube · cell

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. game — a match
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cell — in biology
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cell — a phone
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chest — a box

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