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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: charge · stand · swing · mine · band · bear · fall · stem

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. charge — a price
  7. swing — music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fall — the season
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — to come from
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a ring
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. charge — in control
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bear — to put up with

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