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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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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: bear · stand · band · last · stick · fan · hand · season

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. band — a ring
  3. last — final
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — in cards
  16. last — to go on
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — finally
  20. band — a music group
  21. hand — help
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — in sport

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