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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 120 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: file · wind · safe · stand · saw · spell · tube · bear

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tube — a container
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — magic
  18. wind — moving air
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — the tool

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