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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: lean · pass · stand · club · clip · perch · firm · mine

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. firm — a company
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. firm — decided
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stand — to bear
  11. club — a group
  12. clip — for paper
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lean — thin
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — for golf
  21. lean — to bend
  22. firm — steady
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stand — on your feet

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