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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 120 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: stand · mug · band · patient · nail · mouse · bear · rest

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. band — a music group
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. mug — a face
  6. stand — to bear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. band — a ring
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. band — a rubber band
  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