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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — a partner
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. band — a ring
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — to bear
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left

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