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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — shares
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitch — completely
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stock — goods
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mate — a partner
  24. calf — of the leg

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