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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. race — humankind
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bank — of a river
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — low music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. race — a contest
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — the arms race

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