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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: key · rock · cold · band · lash · stand · last · patient

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. last — finally
  5. cold — not warm
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. last — final
  10. key — in music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. key — the most important part
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — music
  24. last — to go on

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