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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: staff · safe · board · stand · face · content · bass · hand

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. staff — employees
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — to get on
  10. content — the amount
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. staff — a stick
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — happy
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. stand — to bear
  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