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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cell — in biology
  5. net — for catching
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mark — a trace
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stand — to bear
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mark — a grade
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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