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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: cell · band · leaves · dip · stand · can · pitcher · snap

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. can — a tin
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cell — a phone
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. band — a music group
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stand — to bear
  24. snap — to click

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