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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 · safe · rock · shower · cell · cue · bat · lean

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. cue — for pool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. shower — rain
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cell — in biology
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — for spectators

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