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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: bear · leaves · band · date · lie · stand · deal · court

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stand — to bear
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. court — for sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. court — of law
  12. band — a ring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. court — of a king
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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