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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 120 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 was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spell — magic
  7. craft — boats
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stand — to bear
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. band — a ring
  18. branch — a division
  19. race — humankind
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mine — for digging

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