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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: rush · firm · staff · land · chest · band · lie · fan

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — to come down
  10. band — a ring
  11. chest — a box
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — employees
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. band — a music group
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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