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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: content · stand · mug · rush · firm · chair · face · band

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. content — happy
  3. rush — hurry
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stand — to bear
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. face — part of the head
  8. content — the amount
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mug — to rob
  11. band — a ring
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a cup
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. mug — a face
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. band — a music group
  24. face — to confront

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