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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. clip — a video
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. clip — to cut
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — government
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rule — a law
  23. stand — to bear
  24. clip — for paper

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