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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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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: wake · tube · march · bowl · snap · rest · chair · stand

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. tube — a container
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. snap — to click
  7. march — the month
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chair — a leader
  15. march — the month
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. march — music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bowl — a dish

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