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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · spell · cabinet · band · lean · net · stick · row

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. row — a line
  7. lean — thin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. net — in sport
  15. band — a music group
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — magic
  19. row — to paddle
  20. band — a ring
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — after costs
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. spell — a short time

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