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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. rule — government
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chest — a box
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a music group
  9. last — finally
  10. band — a ring
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rule — a law
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. toast — bread
  23. chest — of your body
  24. band — a rubber band

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