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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: suit · wake · bass · pass · present · spring · land · stand

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. land — ground
  3. present — a gift
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spring — a coil
  6. present — the time now
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. land — a country
  9. bass — low music
  10. land — to come down
  11. spring — the season
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. present — there
  14. stand — to bear
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — a trail
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — of water
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bass — the instrument

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