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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: race · fan · arm · wake · stand · bear · content · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. race — the arms race
  3. content — the amount
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. content — happy
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stand — to bear
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — a contest
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — the animal

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