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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: lean · board · land · band · hide · firm · present · bulb

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lean — thin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — to come down
  6. lean — to bend
  7. land — ground
  8. present — there
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — a gift
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. present — the time now
  14. band — a music group
  15. land — a country
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. firm — decided
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a ring
  23. board — a committee
  24. firm — steady

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