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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 116 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: stand · rest · staff · saw · cap · perch · band · face

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — a stick
  4. band — a music group
  5. stand — to bear
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a ring
  12. cap — a hat
  13. face — to point toward
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — a lid
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — of ice
  24. saw — the tool

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