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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: hide · tube · stand · spring · suit · ruler · hand · mine

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tube — a container
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spring — a coil
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — of water
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spring — the season
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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