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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 · bowl · plane · firm · wake · lean · rash · fan

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — decided
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — steady
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rash — hasty
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. firm — a company
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rash — a series

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