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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: row · squash · coach · fine · lean · rest · stand · band

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fine — all right
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lean — thin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stand — to bear
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — high quality
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. squash — to crush

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