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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: stick · plane · stock · firm · stand · cold · staff · straw

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — a company
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. firm — steady
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cold — an illness
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stock — shares
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stock — goods
  21. stand — to bear
  22. firm — decided
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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