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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 116 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: deal · bulb · pass · fork · wake · last · stand · land

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. land — a country
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. last — final
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. last — finally
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. land — ground
  19. pass — a permit
  20. last — to go on
  21. land — to come down
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wake — a trail

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