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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: plane · land · stand · rush · cell · tube · firm · staff

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. staff — employees
  7. cell — in biology
  8. tube — a container
  9. land — a country
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. firm — a company
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. plane — a tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cell — a phone
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — a thrill

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