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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: present · stand · bowl · rule · wind · safe · rush · scale

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. present — there
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — government
  12. wind — moving air
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. scale — in music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rule — a law
  24. wind — to turn a key

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