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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stand — to bear
  8. band — a ring
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cell — a phone
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hand — help
  19. chair — a leader
  20. suit — to fit
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. band — a music group
  24. sharp — with an edge

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