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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: hand · safe · stand · mug · rash · dip · last · object

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. last — finally
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. object — to protest
  12. mug — a face
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rash — a series
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. last — final
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hand — help
  20. mug — to rob
  21. object — a thing
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. object — an aim
  24. rash — hasty

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