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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lean — thin
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. land — ground
  11. firm — a company
  12. land — a country
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitch — completely
  22. land — to come down
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bank — for money

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