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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. band — a ring
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. band — a music group
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stand — to bear

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