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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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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: leaves · wind · kid · scale · stand · net · safe · lie

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kid — to tease
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. scale — in music
  7. net — for catching
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. kid — child
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — size or range
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. leaves — to go away

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