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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: stand · nail · lie · rash · field · pitcher · wave · mark

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — a series
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — farmland
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. field — for sport
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stand — to bear

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