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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cold — an illness
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. staff — employees
  7. stand — to bear
  8. firm — steady
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. firm — a company
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. firm — decided
  23. branch — a division
  24. staff — a stick

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