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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: fan · bear · band · stand · swing · mouse · bound · face

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. swing — music
  15. bound — certain
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. face — to point toward
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bound — obliged

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