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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · stand · coach · band · content · scale · spell · bat

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bat — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. content — the amount
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. band — a music group
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. spell — magic
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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