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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. land — ground
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. land — a country
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stand — to bear
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. kick — in football
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — to confront
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — to point toward

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