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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.

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: object · can · band · firm · mine · arm · fall · field

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — steady
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — to be able to
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. field — farmland
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. field — for sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — a subject
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fall — the season
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. firm — a company
  23. band — a ring
  24. arm — a part of something

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