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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. band — a music group
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. band — a ring
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. fall — the season
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rest — a break

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