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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. kid — to tease
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pass — a permit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kid — child
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. band — a music group

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