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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 · bear · file · bass · vault · pound · staff · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. staff — employees
  15. file — a tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a document
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. staff — a stick
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stand — for spectators

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