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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 116 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: stand · fan · mine · mate · staff · last · fork · deal

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. last — final
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — to breed
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — for digging
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — a supporter

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