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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: firm · sharp · lie · jam · spring · last · mug · stand

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. firm — steady
  3. last — final
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — to rob
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. firm — decided
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a face
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — to go on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mug — a cup
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spring — of water
  24. firm — a company

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