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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 · lie · stand · toast · hand · last · firm · stock

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — to bear
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. last — finally
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stock — shares
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stock — goods
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — final
  18. toast — bread
  19. last — to go on
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lie — to recline
  23. firm — steady
  24. toast — the most admired

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