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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
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: stand · trunk · degree · tube · dip · face · mug · fall

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — a container
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to confront
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stand — to bear
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mug — a cup
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mug — to rob
  24. dip — to sink

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