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

Word bank: squash · court · pass · wake · band · stem · rest · object

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wake — a trail
  5. court — for sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rest — a break
  8. object — an aim
  9. court — of a king
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. band — a ring
  13. squash — to crush
  14. object — a thing
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. band — a music group
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. court — of law
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stem — to come from
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. object — to protest

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