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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hand — help
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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