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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: staff · stand · fine · deal · club · leaves · coach · last

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fine — high quality
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fine — all right
  6. staff — employees
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. last — finally
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. staff — a stick
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — employees
  21. last — final
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. last — to go on
  24. fine — a penalty

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