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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: calf · bound · suit · band · roll · rash · stand · file

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. band — a music group
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bound — obliged
  5. roll — a list
  6. file — a tool
  7. band — a ring
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. file — a line of people
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bound — tied together
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rash — a series
  19. roll — a cake
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — hasty
  24. file — a document

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