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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spell — letters
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hand — help
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. roll — a list
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. squash — the sport
  23. roll — a cake
  24. squash — to crush

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