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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mine — for digging
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — a container
  12. mate — a partner
  13. season — of the year
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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