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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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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: key · leaves · lean · rest · stock · tear · band · stand

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — shares
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — goods
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. tear — from crying

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