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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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Word bank
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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: stand · bank · hand · face · spring · rash · season · firm

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. spring — the season
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hand — in cards
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. season — in sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. face — to confront
  12. firm — steady
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — decided
  18. face — to point toward
  19. firm — a company
  20. hand — help
  21. rash — a series
  22. season — of the year
  23. rash — hasty
  24. face — part of the head

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