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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · stand · fan · march · firm · stick · rock · leaves

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — music
  16. firm — steady
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. firm — a company
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — to go away

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