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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: present · roll · lie · swing · ball · firm · stand · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. lie — to recline
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — in golf
  7. roll — a list
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — a gift
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. present — there
  16. swing — to play on
  17. present — the time now
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. swing — music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. roll — on a roll

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