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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: wound · stand · hand · patient · pop · season · staff · firm

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. staff — employees
  4. firm — decided
  5. pop — music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. season — of the year
  8. firm — a company
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — help
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pop — soda
  14. staff — employees
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — steady
  18. stand — to bear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. season — in sport

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