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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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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: lash · mine · band · present · stick · bay · cell · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — a gift
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — the time now
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a music group
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. present — there
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mine — an explosive

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