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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.

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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — in cards
  11. band — a ring
  12. net — for catching
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — the animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. suit — to fit
  19. band — a music group
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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