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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · field · spell · bay · last · temple · firm · tube

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. firm — decided
  3. last — finally
  4. firm — steady
  5. field — for sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — magic
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — a container
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. field — a subject
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — farmland
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — a company
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spell — letters
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spell — a short time
  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