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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: lean · mug · chair · stand · fine · hand · march · nail

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mug — a face
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lean — thin
  6. fine — all right
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chair — a leader
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. march — music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hand — help
  24. lean — to bend

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