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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: spell · tube · leaves · stand · rash · rock · band · content

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. tube — the underground
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spell — magic
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tube — a container
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rock — music
  19. rash — a series
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. content — the amount
  24. spell — letters

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