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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · present · stand · object · cell · sharp · nail · bound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mate — a friend
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cell — a phone
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — certain
  19. present — there
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mate — to breed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stand — for spectators

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