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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: nail · lash · chest · rule · firm · stand · tube · current

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. firm — steady
  3. chest — of your body
  4. current — electric
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — happening now
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. rule — government
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rule — a law
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. current — of water
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chest — a box
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — a container
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chest — of your 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