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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: cell · date · pitcher · rush · lie · stand · band · rock

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cell — a phone
  3. band — a music group
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. date — the fruit
  14. band — a ring
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rock — music
  24. date — on the calendar

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