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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — goods
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stock — shares
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. band — a ring
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. band — a music group
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pass — to spend time

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