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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
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: land · lie · mouse · ball · stand · band · stick · clip

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. band — a music group
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. clip — a video
  14. ball — a great time
  15. land — ground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — to cut
  18. land — to come down
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. land — a country
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mouse — the animal

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