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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: lash · hide · toast · sharp · stand · firm · fall · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. toast — bread
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. firm — decided
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — clever
  13. firm — steady
  14. fall — the season
  15. firm — a company
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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