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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 116 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: band · rest · straw · fall · plane · stand · suit · mine

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — to drop
  8. band — a ring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. band — a music group
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. suit — clothes
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rest — a break
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stand — for spectators

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