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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. firm — steady
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. firm — a company
  19. stand — to bear
  20. firm — decided
  21. band — a music group
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. present — there

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