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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · pass · leaves · hide · band · straw · can · date

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pass — a permit
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — the fruit
  6. can — to be able to
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stand — to bear
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a ring
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — a tin

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