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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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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: kid · last · firm · stand · wind · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stand — to bear
  5. suit — to fit
  6. last — final
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — decided
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air

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