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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · stand · last · firm · bark · cell · wake · coach

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. firm — steady
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — decided
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cell — in biology
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cell — a phone
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — a company

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