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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stand — to bear
  5. clip — for paper
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bore — to drill
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — a video
  22. hand — help
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stand — on your feet

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