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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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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: craft · stand · land · swing · rock · lean · bound · chest

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. swing — music
  12. bound — certain
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chest — a box
  16. rock — music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lean — thin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. craft — boats
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chest — of your body
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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