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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: cold · rush · band · stand · prune · file · fan · bear

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bear — the animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. file — a document
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bear — the animal

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