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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: band · bulb · stand · content · rock · wake · last · fan

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — music
  4. band — a ring
  5. content — the amount
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. last — final
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. last — finally
  14. band — a music group
  15. last — to go on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. content — happy

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