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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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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: toast · saw · bay · stand · firm · kid · root · dip

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. firm — decided
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. toast — bread
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. firm — a company
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. root — of a word
  13. firm — steady
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kid — child
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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