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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: press · firm · stand · band · row · leaves · fork · last

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — to go on
  4. row — a line
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. last — final
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. press — to push
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. band — a ring
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. firm — steady
  18. last — finally
  19. firm — a company
  20. row — to paddle
  21. firm — decided
  22. band — a music group
  23. stand — to bear
  24. leaves — of a tree

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