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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: saw · cell · toast · safe · stand · bat · wind · nail

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stand — to bear
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cell — in biology
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cell — a phone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cell — in a prison

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