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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — a break
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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