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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · staff · coach · bass · mine · wind · bear · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. saw — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bass — the fish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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