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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
468
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: wind · stem · bay · hand · suit · sharp · court · stand

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. suit — in cards
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. court — for sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wind — moving air
  22. court — of law
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. court — of a king

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