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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. degree — an amount
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fine — high quality
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — temperature
  8. tear — to rip
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cold — an illness
  17. tear — from crying
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cold — not warm
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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