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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fall — the season
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. roll — a list
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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