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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: lean · stand · mate · pound · key · firm

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mate — a partner
  4. firm — a company
  5. pound — a weight
  6. key — in music
  7. mate — to breed
  8. firm — steady
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lean — thin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. firm — decided
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lean — to bend

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