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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. root — of a word
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. spring — a coil
  12. present — a gift
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — to bear
  15. present — there
  16. clip — for paper
  17. present — the time now
  18. root — the cause
  19. fall — the season
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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