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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: can · lean · stand · rash · hand · file · rock · pound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a document
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hand — help
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. file — a line of people
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — thin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rash — a series
  20. file — a tool
  21. rock — music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — to bear

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