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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. present — a gift
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. present — there
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. band — a music group
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. track — to keep track
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — a path
  20. present — the time now
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a ring

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