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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: stand · wake · cold · staff · bear · safe · bowl · chip

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. staff — employees
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stand — to bear
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cold — an illness

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