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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: tear · pass · band · rush · hide · last · drill · cell

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cell — a phone
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cell — in biology
  9. drill — army training
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. last — to go on
  12. band — a music group
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. last — final
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. last — finally
  24. pass — a permit

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