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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.

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: lie · stand · can · cap · staff · chest · dip · charge

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chest — of your body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — a price
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chest — a box
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. charge — electricity
  19. staff — a stick
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — of ice
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. charge — in control
  24. staff — employees

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