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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: lie · wave · saw · rush · stick · stand · band · foot

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rush — hurry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. band — a ring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a music group
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lie — to recline
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stand — to bear
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — part of the body

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