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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: staff · mate · jam · band · stand · bear · leaves · firm

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — a friend
  3. firm — steady
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. band — a ring
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — a stick
  20. firm — a company
  21. stand — to bear
  22. staff — employees
  23. band — a music group
  24. bear — the animal

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