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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: date · staff · lean · band · coach · rock · tear · can

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tear — to rip
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. staff — employees
  10. rock — a stone
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lean — to bend
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a ring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. staff — a stick
  23. band — a music group
  24. coach — a trainer

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