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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spring — a coil
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. spring — of water
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. band — a ring
  11. spring — the season
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lean — to bend
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stand — on your feet

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