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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: stand · band · kick · cabinet · leaves · pop · can · bear

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pop — soda
  3. band — a ring
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. kick — in football
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — to go away

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