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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.

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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 · face · snap · stand · cell · hand · perch · cabinet

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. snap — to click
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — in cards
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hand — help
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stand — to bear
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to confront
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cell — a phone
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. face — part of the head

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