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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: chest · stand · bound · firm · lean · wound · current · lie

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lie — to recline
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — thin
  9. bound — certain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chest — of your body
  13. current — electric
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bound — obliged
  20. current — happening now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — to bend
  23. current — of water
  24. firm — a company

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