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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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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: firm · stand · season · wound · chest · bear · pit · stick

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — a hole
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. firm — steady
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. season — of the year
  17. chest — a box
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. firm — decided
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. season — in sport

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