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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. net — for catching
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. net — in sport
  10. current — of water
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — to bear
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. net — after costs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. current — electric
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chest — a box
  24. mouse — the animal

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