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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: wake · face · scale · tube · hide · stand · pop · pass

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. scale — in music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. face — to confront
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — to bear
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pop — soda
  24. hide — to keep secret

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