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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: stand · stick · lean · wind · spring · rock · pop · safe

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — a coil
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — soda
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. rock — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — thin
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wind — to turn a key

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