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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: rule · hand · content · fine · rock · sharp · stand · safe

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. content — the amount
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rock — music
  9. fine — all right
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rule — a law
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rule — government
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. content — happy
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rock — a stone

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