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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: band · stock · cap · lean · fan · drill · fine · lie

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. band — a music group
  13. drill — army training
  14. cap — a hat
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stock — goods
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — thin
  23. stock — shares
  24. band — a ring

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