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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: stand · kid · snap · leaves · roll · can · pass · drill

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. roll — a list
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kid — child
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kid — to tease
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stand — to bear
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pass — a permit
  20. can — a tin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. snap — to click
  23. roll — a cake
  24. drill — army training

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