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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stand — to bear
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rock — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bore — gave birth

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