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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 120 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: track · stand · firm · file · current · staff · lash · last

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — to go on
  5. current — electric
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — finally
  8. staff — a stick
  9. firm — a company
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. track — a song
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. last — final
  14. file — a tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. file — a document
  19. track — a path
  20. current — of water
  21. firm — decided
  22. current — happening now
  23. firm — steady
  24. staff — employees

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