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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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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: mug · stand · spell · stick · game · lean · wake · pass

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mug — a face
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — a trail
  11. game — a match
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spell — letters

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