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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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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: mine · content · pop · cell · wave · safe · mate · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pop — soda
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cell — a phone
  7. content — happy
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stand — to bear
  22. content — the amount
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in biology

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