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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 120 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: bay · hand · rock · pound · staff · stand · wound · lean

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hand — help
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. hand — in cards
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — music
  24. staff — a stick

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