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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: pop · face · mine · bear · cue · firm · bore · stand

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pop — soda
  12. mine — for digging
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pop — to visit
  23. face — to confront
  24. stand — on your feet

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