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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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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: rock · patient · board · ruler · cap · band · face · stand

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — part of the head
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rock — music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stand — to bear
  14. board — a committee
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to confront
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a ring
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — a lid

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