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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: kid · patient · band · lean · stand · pop · roll · key

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pop — soda
  6. band — a music group
  7. roll — a list
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — in music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — music
  17. kid — child
  18. band — a ring
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. roll — a cake
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kid — to tease

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