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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: lean · ground · stand · firm · last · object · wave · cell

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. object — an aim
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. last — finally
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. firm — a company
  12. cell — a phone
  13. last — to go on
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. firm — decided
  16. object — to protest
  17. last — final
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. ground — a position
  21. firm — steady
  22. object — a thing
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ground — crushed

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