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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: hand · fall · band · rock · pit · bear · stick · rush

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fall — the season
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. hand — help
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rock — music
  11. band — a ring
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pit — in a race

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