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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bound — tied together
  3. band — a music group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bound — certain
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bound — obliged
  11. present — the time now
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. scale — in music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. scale — size or range

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