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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. band — a music group
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stem — to come from
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. track — a path
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. mate — a partner
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. spell — a short time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. band — a ring
  24. stand — for spectators

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