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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.

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: pass · row · wake · tube · stand · cabinet · date · toast

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. toast — bread
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. row — a line
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — the underground
  15. date — the fruit
  16. tube — a container
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pass — a permit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stand — to bear

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