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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. band — a music group
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stand — to bear
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. hand — help
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. band — a ring
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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