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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mark — a grade
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — a phone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. race — humankind
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. race — the arms race
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. cell — in biology
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — a contest
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. capital — a big letter

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