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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. band — a ring
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pass — a permit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. row — a line
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. row — a quarrel

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