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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 120 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 · bank · pit · row · mouse · lean · band · face

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lean — thin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lean — to bend
  9. band — a music group
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pit — a hole
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — a line
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a ring

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