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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: cabinet · chip · lie · date · band · prune · safe · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. prune — to trim
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. date — the fruit
  17. band — a ring
  18. lie — to recline
  19. band — a music group
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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