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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cell — in biology
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. season — of the year
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bowl — a football final

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