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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 120 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: pass · season · stand · file · bay · cap · firm · wind

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wind — moving air
  5. season — in sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cap — of ice
  11. firm — steady
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cap — a hat
  14. firm — decided
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — a company
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. file — a document

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