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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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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: race · fine · stand · content · wind · band · firm · bay

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — steady
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. race — humankind
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. content — happy
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — the amount
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. firm — a company
  18. race — a contest
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wind — moving air
  23. band — a music group
  24. firm — decided

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