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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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. game — a match
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a music group
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. last — to go on
  18. band — a ring
  19. last — final
  20. squash — the sport
  21. game — wild animals
  22. squash — to crush
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — a kind of play

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