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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: pass · firm · band · wake · fall · rock · pit · rash

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — a stone
  6. firm — steady
  7. fall — the season
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — in a race
  20. firm — decided
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a ring
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. firm — a company

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