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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: land · hide · mark · spring · band · rock · ruler · pass

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — ground
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rock — music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. land — a country
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. band — a ring
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — a stone

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