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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 · mug · leaves · firm · hide · ground · saw · clip

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a cup
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ground — a position
  11. clip — to cut
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. firm — decided
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mug — a face
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ground — crushed
  22. firm — steady
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — to bear

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