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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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. land — to come down
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. land — ground
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. land — a country
  21. mark — a trace
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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