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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. drill — army training
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. land — to come down
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. drill — the tool
  12. land — a country
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. drill — a practice
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — to get on
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. land — ground

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