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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. present — a gift
  3. band — a music group
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kid — child
  6. spring — the season
  7. present — the time now
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. band — a ring
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spring — of water
  20. present — there
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rock — music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spring — a coil

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