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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. present — a gift
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pit — a hole
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wake — a trail
  19. firm — decided
  20. present — the time now
  21. content — happy
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — there
  24. content — the amount

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