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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: swing · saw · face · stand · band · mouse · bound · date

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — certain
  5. swing — music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — to confront
  11. bound — obliged
  12. band — a music group
  13. stand — to bear
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. band — a ring
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mouse — for a computer

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