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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. band — a ring
  4. cap — a lid
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. shower — rain
  11. cap — of ice
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lean — thin
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spell — magic

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