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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 116 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.

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: cell · mine · stock · rash · pass · stand · rule · leaves

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rash — a series
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stock — goods
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rule — a law
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stock — shares
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rule — government
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pass — to spend time

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