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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 · firm · toast · hand · pound · bear · track · hide

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hand — help
  7. toast — bread
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. firm — steady
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. track — a song
  21. bear — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pound — for dogs

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