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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: straw · rock · leaves · hide · march · firm · chip · stand

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rock — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — to eat
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — to bear
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — for betting
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. march — music

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