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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fall — the season
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. spring — the season
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — clever

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