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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 · land · sharp · bear · rest · deal · mark · craft

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rest — what's left
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — to come down
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — a skill
  11. land — ground
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — to bear
  15. land — a country
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stand — for spectators

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