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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: can · bat · foot · staff · stand · wind · safe · pound

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — a weight
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bat — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. staff — a stick
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. foot — a measure
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. can — to be able to
  24. foot — the bottom

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