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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: stand · plane · scale · bear · saw · hand · suit · firm

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. scale — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hand — help
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. firm — decided
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. plane — a tool

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