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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wound — an injury
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — to bear
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spring — of water
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ground — the earth
  16. march — music
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — to roll

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