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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: band · row · bear · rush · fall · stand · leaves · cue

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fall — the season
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. row — a line

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