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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. charge — a price
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitcher — a jug

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