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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — decided
  3. cold — not warm
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — to bear
  8. firm — a company
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. club — for golf
  17. chair — a leader
  18. tube — the underground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — a group
  21. firm — steady
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. tube — a container

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