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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · current · lie · band · stock · stand · saw · kid

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — happening now
  5. stock — shares
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stock — goods
  8. band — a music group
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kid — child
  11. current — electric
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — of water
  15. band — a ring
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mate — a partner
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lie — an untruth

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