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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
468
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: fine · toast · stand · present · land · current · staff · straw

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. staff — a stick
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — happening now
  6. toast — bread
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. land — to come down
  11. present — there
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. land — a country
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — of water
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fine — all right
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. staff — employees
  21. present — the time now
  22. land — ground
  23. current — electric
  24. stand — to bear

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