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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: mine · current · lean · stand · can · bound · hand · object

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. can — a tin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. object — to protest
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stand — to bear
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hand — help
  21. current — electric
  22. bound — certain
  23. object — a thing
  24. lean — thin

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