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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. firm — a company
  3. row — a line
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. row — to paddle
  13. firm — decided
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lean — thin
  16. shower — rain
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. key — in music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lean — to bend
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chip — to eat

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