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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: rush · board · cue · mine · date · lean · stand · bear

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — thin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. board — a committee
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. date — the fruit

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