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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — a trail
  8. board — a committee
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bound — tied together
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. board — to get on
  22. bound — certain
  23. cell — a phone
  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