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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cell — a phone
  8. band — a ring
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lean — thin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. branch — a division
  23. band — a music group
  24. pass — a permit

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