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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: band · bay · jam · staff · stand · board · lie · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. board — a committee
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. staff — employees
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lie — to recline
  15. board — to get on
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. band — a music group
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. band — a ring
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stand — to bear
  24. jam — in traffic

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