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

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. 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. stand — to bear
  2. rash — hasty
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. present — the time now
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. present — a gift
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. present — there
  16. rash — a series
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. 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