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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: saw · leaves · wake · deal · ground · band · pass · pitcher

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ground — crushed
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — a position
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. band — a ring
  24. ground — the earth

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