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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a music group
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lean — to bend
  9. band — a ring
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — to fit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lean — thin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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