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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. kid — child
  2. club — for golf
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. kid — to tease
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rest — a break
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stand — to bear
  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