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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — the underground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — a permit
  6. drill — army training
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tube — a container
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. drill — a practice
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — the tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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