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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — a tin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — the season
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. band — a ring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. last — final
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — to go on
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. can — to be able to
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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