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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · spell · wound · pass · lean · bear

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lean — thin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. band — a music group
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spell — letters
  13. wound — an injury
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spell — magic
  16. band — a ring
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bear — the animal

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