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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: stand · bear · firm · cue · press · wound · hand · dip

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. firm — steady
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cue — a hint
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bear — the animal
  22. press — to push
  23. firm — a company
  24. dip — to dunk

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