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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: kid · file · wound · band · track · swing · stand · lean

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lean — thin
  6. swing — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. track — a song
  9. band — a ring
  10. kid — child
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. file — a tool
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. swing — in golf
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wound — an injury
  19. file — a document
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kid — to tease
  24. band — a music group

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