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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. present — the time now
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. present — there
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a ring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a music group
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. present — a gift
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — child
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — the fish

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