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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: fan · safe · pound · deal · march · rush · stand · mate

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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