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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: band · stand · can · lie · bank · pitcher · chest · squash

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a music group
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. band — a ring
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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