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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 · board · toast · content · firm · coach · mine · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. firm — a company
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — decided
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — steady
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. content — happy
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. board — a committee
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lean — thin
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. toast — bread
  21. board — to get on
  22. content — the amount
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. coach — a trainer

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