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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. firm — steady
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lean — thin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — decided
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spell — letters
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. firm — a company
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spell — magic

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