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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: capital · stand · wound · ruler · fall · craft · rush · band

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wound — an injury
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. capital — money
  14. rush — hurry
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. band — a ring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a music group
  23. capital — a city
  24. ruler — a monarch

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