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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: firm · pass · foot · hand · tear · stand · face · coach

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — help
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hand — in cards
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. tear — to rip
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. firm — a company
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pass — a permit

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