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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tube — a container
  13. band — a ring
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stand — to bear
  17. band — a music group
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chair — a leader
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — obliged
  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