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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: tube · bay · bowl · stand · last · kid · wound · can

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kid — to tease
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. last — final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. last — finally
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. last — to go on
  18. kid — child
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — a container
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — on your feet

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