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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: mate · firm · rash · last · bat · tube · stand · bound

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tube — the underground
  4. firm — decided
  5. last — finally
  6. bound — certain
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — to go on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tube — a container
  21. bound — obliged
  22. last — final
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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