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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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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: bark · firm · fan · season · key · nail · stand · row

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — decided
  6. key — in music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — the most important part
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — in sport
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. season — of the year
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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