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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 120 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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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: bulb · band · land · saw · shower · stand · lean · deal

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. saw — the tool
  5. shower — to wash
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. land — ground
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — to come down
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. land — a country
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. band — a music group
  20. shower — rain
  21. lean — to bend
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. saw — the tool
  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