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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bat — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. charge — a price
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. row — to paddle
  20. charge — in control
  21. row — a line
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — electricity

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