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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 120 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 · tube · stand · spell · rest · bowl · bear · perch

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. band — a ring
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spell — letters
  9. tube — a container
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — the underground
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. band — a music group
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spell — magic

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