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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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 — to bear
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. band — a music group
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. band — a ring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pass — a permit
  16. season — of the year
  17. rash — a series
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. object — a thing
  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