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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: chest · stand · bound · present · cue · lie · object · racket

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. present — there
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cue — a signal
  9. present — the time now
  10. object — to protest
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — certain
  13. chest — a box
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cue — for pool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — a thing
  24. racket — for tennis

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