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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: track · stand · suit · fall · foot · band · lie · straw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. band — a ring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — a song
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a music group
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fall — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. suit — to fit
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. band — a rubber band

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