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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: sharp · stand · deal · lash · cap · tube · ball · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lean — to bend
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lean — thin
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. tube — a container

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