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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · mate · stand · kid · deal · toast

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stand — to bear
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. kid — child
  6. toast — bread
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. deal — to handle
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kid — to tease

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