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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — to bear
  6. land — ground
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — to come down
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. race — humankind
  21. fall — the season
  22. land — a country
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — a weight

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